Surprise! 11 Peekaboo Cakes for Every Occasion

Plain ol’ cake is SO yesterday. When you have beautiful decoration options like DIY watercolor cakes and rustic naked cakes, there are more reasons than ever to eat more cake and make it interesting. The newest trend in the cake world is baking images into the inside of your cakes, resulting in a peekaboo surprise when you slice your dessert. You can make them for all occasions, from Easter and engagement parties to Christmas and Halloween. We discovered 11 of these creative confections that will be the talk of every get-together all year long. Keep reading to get the lowdown on all the peekaboo cakes you need for *every* occasion.

1. Carrot Patch Cake: A little bit of planning and boxed cake mix can go a long way. Finish this carrot-themed treat off with cookie crumble dirt and fondant carrot leaves for a dessert the Easter bunny would be proud of. (via The Partiologist)

2. Cherry Cake: Any outdoor spring party is a perfect opportunity to make this fun cherry cake. Guests will initially be impressed by the outside detail, but they’ll be floored once they cut themselves a slice. (via Country Living)

3. Fourth of July Cake: Break out that box of food coloring you’ve had for ages and get ready to bake. This flag design is astonishingly easy and can be used for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July or really any other day you’re feeling patriotic. (via Glorious Treats)

4. Halloween Cake: Abstract swirls are the easiest kind of peekaboo effect to create. This color scheme is geared toward Halloween, but you could easily alter the colors for any holiday. (via Created by Diane)

5. Heart Cake: Valentine’s Day is a time for showing your significant other how much you care. What better way to do that than with a homemade white cake with a giant red heart inside? (via I Am Baker)

6. Hidden Heart Loaf Cake: Alternatively, random acts of appreciation are almost more meaningful than showing your love on Valentine’s Day. Serve this seemingly average cake on a date night and watch the flood of admiration wash over bae when they discover the tiny heart inside. (via My Diverse Kitchen)

7. Name Cake: Birthday cakes can be tricky to personalize for that special someone. This name cake is a great way to do that without having to shakily pipe a message on the top. If the name is too long, you could make a cake with their age in the middle. (via A Moment With Madam Meko)

8. Peekaboo Pumpkin Pound Cake: Once you try this pound cake, you’ll be looking for any excuse to make it. It’ll definitely be your go-to fall dessert all season long. (via She Knows)

9. Surprise-Inside Ring Cake: So your bestie just got engaged, and you couldn’t be happier. Throw her an epic engagement party with this stunning gray cake with a solitaire diamond engagement ring in the middle. Best. Friend. Ever. (via The Cake Blog)

10. Santa’s Belt Surprise-Inside Cake: From the outside, this cake looks like your average festive dessert. But once the hungry crowd starts to dig in, they’ll find an uncanny resemblance to Santa’s belly, complete with his signature black belt. (via I Am Baker)

11. Berry Star Surprise-Inside Cake: Stars have a place in baking decor all year long. If your occasion doesn’t call for a specific theme, this star presentation is a great way to have fun with your cake and eat it too. (via A Beautiful Mess)